spinach risotto with meyer lemon

I saw Meyer lemons at the store... they made me make this dish. Check this link for more info on the Meyer lemon.

Making risotto seems like it would be pretty simple. Some rice, some stock, cook it till its soft... but to make a truly amazing, super creamy, risotto takes a bit of technique. I have made a some in my time. These are a few things I've learned...

1. Always cook risotto in a thick bottomed steel or enameled pot. Reactive metal will turn your rice gray.
2. Stir it with a wooden spoon. It's easier on your pot and it just feels right.
3. Make sure the stock you will be cooking with is hot. This will make for a creamier risotto.
4. Most recipes will tell you to stir the rice constantly. That is true, in the first steps of preparation, when you are toasting the rice in butter or oil. Once you've started adding stock you should stir it initially, then let it start to stick a bit before adding more stock and stirring again to loosen any grains from the pot. This will make your risotto even creamier.
5. Make sure you find the right balance of salt and acid.
6. Don't over cook the rice. It should be al dente. Mushy risotto = no good.
7. Be patient. Good risotto will take you around thirty minutes on the stove top.
8. Always add any cheese right before you serve it and make sure you finish it with a bit of cold butter.
9. Serve it immediately after stirring in the butter and cheese.

Apply these techniques to any risotto recipe and it is sure to come out very nice... the recipe is as follows;

(first)
2 T butter
4 cloves garlic (diced)
2 shallots (diced)
1 2/3 cups Arborio rice

(next)
2 oz white wine
6 cups veggie stock (you may not need all of it)
2 springs of thyme
1 piece Meyer lemon peel about 2 inches long and .5 wide

(last)
4 oz spinach (blanched, chilled, squeezed of excess water and pureed)
2 T crème fraîche or cold butter
4 T grated Parmesan
juice from Meyer lemon to taste
salt and pepper

(for the garnish)
Meyer lemon zest
Parmesan
extra virgin
Meyer lemon wedges

To start bring your veggie stock to a simmer. On low heat, sweat the garlic and shallot with the butter until they soften up just a bit. Add the Arborio rice and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the rice becomes translucent on the edges but is still white in the center. Now pour in the wine and let it evaporate. Start adding the stock, four or five ounces at a time stirring in the method I describe above. once you are halfway through the stock add the lemon peel and thyme leaves, continue adding the stock a bit at a time until the rice is al dente and the risotto has the consistency of a stew or creamy polenta. Stir in the spinach, Parmesan and crème fraîche. Now its time to season... do this carefully. Add some Meyer lemon juice (the juice of one lemon to start) then add some salt. Continue alternating until you can taste the lemon and the risotto is salty enough.

Zest some lemon on top, through a lemon wedge on the plate, a little olive oil, some pieces of peeled Parmesan and a twist or two from the pepper mill... I also put some oven dried tomatoes on mine. Now you can eat it.